Media colloquium moves beyond rhetoric
By Babongile Zulu; Photographer: Mapodise Mkhabela
In response to the ANC’s proposal for a media appeal’s tribunal and the heightened public debate on the issue, a colloquium on “Media, democracy and transformation since 1994: an assessment” was hosted by Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies over the weekend.
According to a few opening statements from the convenor, Prof Jane Duncan, Highway Africa Chair of Media and Information Society, the colloquium was held to move beyond the immediate responses to the tribunal and the Protection of Information Bill, beyond the rhetoric and to start researching the issues on a deeper level.
The colloquium arose out of a statement in September by 20 South African journalism schools expressing the concern about a deterioration in relations between state and media and committing journalism educators and researchers to a process in which solutions could be found to the impasse.
The educators also expressed their concern about the future state of the media industry and prospects for their students.
Prominent guests included Dr Pallo Jordan Chairperson of the Communications Sub-Committee of the African National Congress (ANC), Ismail Vadi, chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications and Prof Colin Sparks from the University of Westminster, an expert on media in transitional states, who gave the keynote speech on Saturday.
Almost 40 academics came together with various policy-makers within the ANC, Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) to discuss ‘the role of the post-apartheid media’, ‘media accountability and self-regulation’ and ‘media ownership, content and access to information.’
Zambian newspaper editor Fred M’membe, who has been jailed multiple times in that country for his journalism, was also present to address the gathering after the research papers had been presented and discussed. “The right to freedom of expression and a better media has to be struggled for. What we need is intellectual input and activism, and where possible, the two should be combined.”
The two-day colloquium ended off with everyone present sharing their views about possible ways forward. Some were impressed about the level of intellectual input and commended all who had written papers for the colloquium, while many were encouraged by the space for discussion that was opened up by such an event and urged further interventions and ongoing research.
“It’s important to get above the mud-slinging and get a good dialogue going,” commented Prof Guy Berger, Head of School of Journalism and Media Studies.